My impromptu chat with Joe O.

[botn]

I have known Joe a very long time...well before he was working for PSA. Joe does have a great deal of passion for the hobby. I don't think Joe is the problem at PSA and I don't think that he alone can change all that is wrong at PSA. Some of the things collectors and dealers complain about are the same things they have complained about for almost 20 years. And not to derail the thread but SGC is fraught with their own issues so obviously there are inherent problems with third party grading.

[E93]

I have had only positive experiences with Joe. He is passionate about the hobby, and professional in his business dealings. Though the few issues I have brought to him have not always turned out the way I wanted, they have always been handled professionally and I can always see his/PSA's perspective.
JimB

[hangman62]

Leon mentioned something interesting..guys who get drunk..or buzzed..then start writing crazy stuff on the site.... how many have done that..Im sure more then a few

[kcohen]

Originally Posted by hangman62

Leon mentioned something interesting..guys who get drunk..or buzzed..then start writing crazy stuff on the site.... how many have done that..Im sure more then a few

Better doing that in such a state than bidding in the extended time portion on an on-line auction.

[rdixon1208]

Originally Posted by hangman62

Leon mentioned something interesting..guys who get drunk..or buzzed..then start writing crazy stuff on the site.... how many have done that..Im sure more then a few

Why do I feel like everyone's staring at me...

[vargha]

Interesting thread. My thoughts:

Empty suit.

Thin-skinned.

Weasel.

[WhenItWasAHobby]

I first met Joe Orlando at the very first PSA Registry Luncheon approximately 10 years ago. I introduced myself and we had a very nice, cordial face-to-face discussion for approximately 10 minutes – very much like Leon’s experience at the 2011 National. In short, a terrific guy who cares about collectors and the well-being of the hobby!

Sadly, as a few board members know and as Leon alluded to in the first post of this thread, someone attempted to impersonate Mr. Orlando via e-mail several years ago. When this occurred, Leon was accommodating enough to show me the e-mail and I for one knew instantly it was a fake. How did I know? Anyone who has ever read any of Mr. Orlando’s articles or letters to the collecting community know that he always ends the message with, “Never Get Cheated”. This phrase was conspicuously absent from that e-mail therefore rendering it unquestionably bogus.

Once I came to the realization that someone or perhaps several people were impersonating Mr. Orlando, my mind began to race back over the years to all my other Joe Orlando encounters. One that immediately comes to mind was at the 2003 Atlantic City PSA Registry luncheon. Leading up to this event there had been ongoing controversial rumors that PSA was going to go to half-grades and this created a major uproar among many of the registry collectors like me who already owned thousands of PSA-graded cards. Although I was sitting in the far back of the registry luncheon and already had a few drinks, I recall someone getting up in front of the luncheon attendees who identified himself as Joe Orlando and seemed to have a striking resemblance to the person I met two years earlier. Anyway, this person stood up and made the unequivocal announcement, “Read my lips. PSA will never go to half grades!” This should have been the first tip-off that someone was impersonating Joe at public functions since as we all know now, PSA did go to half grades.

This also explains many other “enigmatic” incidences that have occurred since. There had been allegations that Joe ejected a collector from the 2009 registry luncheon in Cleveland for privately expressing his concerns that someone might be successfully getting doctored cards past the PSA graders. I thought this collector was just confused, and perhaps Joe was just exhorting him to leave to get back to the convention to buy more cards, but he seemed to think that this wasn’t the case and had a witness to substantiate that incident. Now it’s clear this alleged misunderstanding must have been with the Joe Orlando impersonator. There have been numerous other confusing things that happened during this time span, such as my banishment from the CU Boards and all of my sets being deleted from the PSA registry, but it wouldn’t be fair to Joe to bring up those types of incidents since I’m now relieved to know it wasn’t him after all.

Kudos to Leon for helping bust up this impersonation ring and putting everything back in its proper perspective.

[vargha]

Lmao!

[calvindog]

Last three posts: GOLD.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by hangman62

Leon mentioned something interesting..guys who get drunk..or buzzed..then start writing crazy stuff on the site.... how many have done that..Im sure more then a few

Maybe if I start posting crazy stuff on the postwar side more people would check it out to see what's going on over there...

[FrankWakefield]

I think that Leon attempting a brief meeting, Mr. Orlando allowing it, and the way it went, all of that was a good thing to post.

I perceive that graded cards are a problem for the hobby, and we'd all be better off as hobbyists if grading had never appeared. Then some collectors would learn a bit more about what they're collecting. Now, some folks just collect slabs. Slabs were good for the sports card business, but not the hobby. I recognize that I'm in an infinitesimal minority with that perception, but then 'majority rule' doesn't mean 'majority right'. Still, from reading the first post, it seems that Mr. Orlando cares about the hobby, that's good.

As for who did more for the hobby, I think Mr. Burdick tops that list, with Mr. Lipset right up there. So I agree with those two posts that suggested that.

Mr. Carter was a nice, civil, kindhearted gentleman, who knew cards. There have been several collectors like that. Mr. Burdick and Mr. Lipset gathered knowledge and published it for all of us to use... that seems more significant and more important for the hobby.

These guys knew a bit about old ball cards, and they shared their knowledge so that we could better enjoy the hobby...

[hunterdutchess]

Hmmmmm, plastic surgery to look like Joe Orlando so I can get a bump on my graded cards?? I'm in : )

[Matthew H]

I agree with Frank 100%. I bet there are collectors that have never even touched their cards outside the plastic.

I like raw cards, I bust them out. It bothers me when I have to buy that card I want and It's graded a 5. I know I have to pay a premium for that plastic and that premium goes away when I take a butter knife to the side of it.

And yes... Iv'e had a few